Interlibrary Loan and Document Delivery

FAQ

• Who can use ILL Services?

  The service is only available to faculty, staff and students currently enrolled at Union College. Faculty Emeriti may also request research materials through the Interlibrary Loan Service. Individuals who have courtesy borrowing privileges are not eligible for interlibrary loan. If you are unsure of your status, please check with the Circulation Department at (518) 388-6280 before requesting ILL.

• How do I request ILL Material?

  An ILLiad account is required to request Interlibrary Loan (ILL) material. You can access ILLiad by clicking on the Interlibrary Loan icon (see image below) located on the library homepage. First time users will be directed to the registration page after logging in with a Union username and password. Please enter the required information (see instructions below).

  Before submitting a request, please check to see if the material is available in the Schaffer Library collections.

  If you need assistance please contact Jason Nistico (nisticoj@union.edu) or Amy Hathaway (hathawaa@union.edu).

  Click the quick links icon on the library home page to start your ILL request with ILLiad.

  

  Fill in required fields as indicated by the asterisk. Then click the submit information button.

  

• How long does it take for material to arrive?

  Requests may be submitted at any time through your ILLiad account. All ILL requests are processed as quickly as possible.

  Turnaround time for articles and book chapters is typically 24-48 hours.

  Loan (returnables) requests typically take 3-7 days, depending on the location of the lending institution and availability of the material. Please be aware that there are circumstances for which the turnaround time might be longer.

• What types of materials can be borrowed?

  Most circulating materials can be requested through ILL. Some things may be difficult to obtain. In general, reference books, complete issues of periodicals, unpublished papers and manuscripts, eBooks, and archival materials may be unavailable.

  Materials that are available in the Schaffer Library catalog should not be requested through ILL, unless the material is checked out, lost, missing, or otherwise unavailable.

• Where do I pick up and return ILL materials?

  You will receive an email when your ILL requested material has arrived.

  For electronically received materials, login to your ILLiad account to access the item(s).

  For physical loans, you may pick up the material at the library during open hours. Your ILL material(s) can be found on the open hold shelf located at the end of the Circulation Desk (in the alcove, to the left of the front doors as you enter the library).

  At times, lending libraries will place restrictions on their materials, such as "In Library Use Only" or "This item is non-renewable."

  DO NOT REMOVE ANY PAPERWORK attached to any ILL materials.

• How long may I keep an item borrowed through ILL?

  All loan periods are set by the lending institutions. In general, loan periods are 3 - 6 weeks, with one renewal allowed. The ILL department makes an effort to acquire materials with the longest possible loan period.

• How do I renew material borrowed through ILL?

  Renewals are granted at the discretion of the lending institution. The paperwork on your ILL material will note whether or not renewals are allowed.

  You can renew interlibrary loan materials by logging into your ILLiad account and clicking on the transaction number of the item you wish to renew (see figure below). That will open a renew option box at the top of the list of your transactions. Click on the renew button and your request will be sent to the ILL office. This function only works when the item is not overdue.

  If the material is overdue or you wish to retain your ILL material beyond its second due date, please contact the Interlibrary Loan office, (518) 388-6286; nisticoj@union.edu.

• Are there any charges for ILL services?

  ILL services are free to eligible users.

  Please be aware that materials loaned to us from other institutions must be returned in good condition (no underlining, coffee stains, water damage, dog-eared pages, etc.). The user will incur charges for any damaged or lost materials. Charges will be applied to the user's Union account.